SandraC Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 There must be something I'm not doing right.....I'm working on a customer's gorgeous batik quilt and am using king tut in the top and BL in the bottom. From one spot to the next on the quilt the thread acts differently...I tighten the tension, loosen it, breaking threads, pulling out stitches that are way too loose...you name it, I've dealt with it. The quilt is only about a quarter done and I don't want the whole thing to be a pain, especially since some of the areas on the back aren't the greatest. When I rotate the quilt I'm going to have to go over it with a fine tooth comb to see if any spots need to be re-done. Is the frustration coming thru' loud and clear:mad: I wish I could start fresh and everything would be ok!!! Please...any advice is welcome.....Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryRogers Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 Hi Sandra Some of those darn batiks can be woven mighty tight and some seem to have a sizing that will give us fits! You don't mention what size needle you are using. Try a larger one ..perhaps a 4.0. Some folks swear by silicone spray. I have never used it but I hear it helps tame those pesky batiks. Best of luck to you, let us know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted September 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 When I went back to it last night...everything seemed ok!!! Sometimes you wonder if a little quilting goblin comes to visit to turn life upside down just to make things interesting! I did tighten the tension up a little and fiddle with stuff a bit. I do use a 4.0 needle. My mistake is not trying "fixes" one at a time so it's easier to pinpoint the culprit. I'll be starting up for the day in a few minutes, I'm just crossing my fingers. I would sure like to paid for the quilt before the weekend. We're throwing a baby party on the weekend and the extra cash would come in handy. Just to share a little...reading this forum has been a nice oasis in the last couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago my 18yr old son and his girlfriend requested my husband and I to meet them at the doctors that evening...uh oh, must be pregnant, right? They proceeded to tell us that the week before, my son's girlfriend had been in a lot of pain so he took her to emerg...they informed her that she was about to give birth!!! As we are a rural area they sent her on via ambulance to a bigger centre and she had a baby boy within the hour. They left the hospital in a shocked stupor, they had had no idea that she was pregnant(!), so children's aid stepped in to take guardianship of the baby.....well, the last week or so has been spent reversing all the red tape and getting custody of the baby. So, say hello to a fairly young grandmother, oops, there's another grey hair! Thanks for listening, I know this isn't the place for it, but I guess I just needed to talk.....and to top it off ~ I didn't have a quilt ready for my first grandchild!!! Well, off to work....thanks again, guys, Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstucker Posted September 21, 2005 Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 Hi Sandra, I hope your quilt gremlins were gone today, and you had good tension on that batik quilt. When I did the guilds raffle quilt this year, which was batik front and back, I used the silicone spray both on the thread and on the quilt! It helped tremendously. I have had tension problems with King Tut thread, and tend to shy away from it. It is a beautiful thread, but heavier than some of the others, so I think more bobbin tension is called for. On a private note, thank you for sharing your story with us. I think its wonderful that your family is welcoming their first grandchild. You may not have a quilt ready, but your love for this new life is shining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted September 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 Thanks for the input...things went a lot better with the quilt today. Maybe I'll see if my daughter can help me post a picture when it's done. I have no idea what the silicone spray is or what is used for! Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane Bevans Posted September 22, 2005 Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 Do you keep a log book on your quilts, I do with and if there is a problem I write it down, and then all the things I tried until I hit on the thing that happens. I even make note of where my top tension is set for the thread I am using. And then I can go back and look at what the problem is and the correction.. Deloa Jones gave us this idea at a class we took and it works really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay M. Posted September 22, 2005 Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 Hi Sandra, The silicone spray I use is "Sullivan's" and is made for fabrics. You can order it through kmquiltingsupply.com. Kay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Rooster Posted September 23, 2005 Report Share Posted September 23, 2005 Again, this might not be the place but I couldn't resist saying congratulations! God works in strange ways at times but a grandchild is such a beautiful blessing. Enjoy your new grandson. Happy Quilting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Posted September 23, 2005 Report Share Posted September 23, 2005 Congratulations on that new grandbaby! Sounds like he was a shocking surprise, and life changes so dramatically when a new baby comes - but I hope everyone will adjust and come to enjoy this blessing. My best thoughts to you. Now - about that silicone spray. I use it on almost every batik quilt I do. I lightly spray the wrong side of the back and the right side of the top when I'm loading. It isn't oily and it does not leave any residue. Seems to help. You can never tell about those batiks - they are so beautiful, but can be pesky. Kingsmen carries the spray - www.kmquiltingsupply.com I have also, on occasion, been known to use a few drops of "Sewer's Aid" silicone on thread that is giving me grief. But mostly that's if it's breaking extraordinarily often. Hope that helps. Sherri Dolly Overland Park, KS Milennium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted September 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2005 Thanks so much for all the advice and kind words...I will definitely try some of the spray next time around. The quilt was finally done at noon today, looks great and the customer was pleased. That was a hard one to price, I know I didn't charge enough. It was way more labour intensive than my normal custom work. Have a great day....also saying a prayer for those in Texas, I feel pretty lucky in Southern Ontario where we only have to deal with cold winters, Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.